Buddhism – historically the first world religion. And yet, as Borges said, is “the most widespread religion in the world”. In Russia, the earliest penetration of Buddhism was characteristic of the Kalmyk people, who took more than 400 years ago.

Kalmyk culture germinated on the unique cultural soil elyutov who lived in a colorful country where the vast steppes “stretched white, happiness, koshmovye tent noble Noyon and zaisangs, but black as a bitter fate, tents commoners – albatu, ketchinerov and shabinerov”. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s been more than 20 years since the collapse of the USSR and the beginning of the period of genuine religious freedom in Russia. Great changes happened both in the country as well as in the minds and hearts of the citizens during this period. People became interested in religion, and as a consequence felt the need to revive traditional religious systems. These positive changes also happened in the only Buddhist republic of the European part of Russia – in Kalmyk Republic.

For the first time Oirats – Western Mongols, the ancestors of the Kalmyks, gained access to the Tibetan Buddhism in the XIII century, but during that period Buddhism was not widespread. It took firmer root at the end of 16 – early 17 century, during the rise of Gelug tradition, which came directly from Tibet and partly through Mongolia. Read the rest of this entry »